Method of packaging digitalis



F. W. HEYL.

METHOD OF PACKAGING DIGITALIS.

- APPLICATION FILED JUNE 7, 1920.

1,388,429, Patented Aug. 23, 1921..

a mac ntoz firderzclf 14 lie 1/ i of preparin UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

FREDERICK HEYL, OF KALAJILAZO O, MICHIGAN, ASSIGNOR TO THE UPJOHN COM- PANY, OF KALAMAZOO, MICHIGAN, A CORPORATION OF MICHIGAN.

Mnrnon or PACKAGING morrrA Is.

Specification of Letters Patent. Patented Aug. 23, 1921.

Application filed June 7, 1920. Serial 1%. 387,078.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, FREDERICK HEYL, a citizen of the United States, residing at Kalamazoo, county of Kalamazoo, State of Michigan, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Methodsof Packaging Digitalis, of which the following is a specification.

This invention relates to a method of packaging digitalis.

It is known that. digitalis in the leaf or in dry form and also in the form of an ex-' tractsuch as an alcoholic extract gradually deteriorates or loses its activity so that physicians in administering this drug are uncertain as to the strength or activity thereof.

It is the main'object of this invention to provide an improved method of preparing and packaging digitalis whlch enables its being kept for a long period of time wlthout loss of strength or activity. Also to present the same for use in a form enabling physicians to easily and quickly prepare infusions therefrom. i

.Further objects will definitely appear from the detailed description to follow.

In accompanying drawing, Figure I represents an elevation of my improved package.

Fig. II. is a longitudinal section through the package, the tablets and the plug or stopper being shown in full lines.

Fig. III is a cross section through one of the tablets illustrating its porous character.

Fig. IV is an elevation of my improved,

package containing tablets of a size indicated for .oral medication.

In the practice of my improved method digitalis, I use the vacuum desiccated digitalis leaves, the best practice being to first determine the activlty of the leaves used because of the factthat age, moisture and the method of handling greatly efiect the same. The leaves are then powdered but not too finely and compressed into cylindrical tablets 1. The tablets illustrated are of a size designed for use in preparing infusions and where designed for direct internal medication are much smaller in size.

should be handled throughout in a dry at-v mosphere. The diameter of the tablets used for infusion is somewhat less than that of the tubular container 2 but such that the tablets are supported in a stack one upon another as shown in Fig. II. Packaging the small tablets I do not attempt this, see

Fig. IV.

In the bottom of the vcontainer,Iarrange a quantity of lime 3 or other suitable alkaline dehydrating material. -Above this is a plug 4 of cotton, the plug being suflicient to prevent the dehydrating material sifting through' upon the tablets. The container 2 illustrated hasv avrestricted portion 5 at the upper end. of the cotton plug and upon which the lower tablet of the stack rests when arranged in a stack and which also serves to retain the plug 4. I e

Between the tablets and the cork or stopper 6 is a layer of cotton 7, and to insure an air proof condition, the cork is preferably sealed with wax 8. When the tablets. are in the preferred form they are quite porous 'so that any moisture therein readily escapes and the tablets -may, be easily broken up or disintegrated when it is desired to prepare an infusion.

Smaller tablets not used for infusion, but for oral administration. are packa ed in a circular manner but notstacked, see 4 ig. IV.

It is intended that each package shall contain instructions as to the activity of the particular tablets contained therein and where intended for the preparation of infusions instructions as to the quantity of liquid in preparing an infusion from the tablets. The tablets being quite porous in character, any slight moisture therein when packaged is absorbed by the alkaline idehydrating material. The tablets being sealed are kept in a state of perfect dryness and may be kept for a long period of time without deterioration, which is not possible with the methodsof handling the drug heretofore practised.

Therefore, as the result of my improvements, the physician is provided with means for preparing infusions of a substantially known and uniform strength or activity and also of giving in suitable doses the desiccated leaf itself.

Having thus described my invention, what ,I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Q a i 1,388,429

into porous tablets and compressing into portablets, placing in a container containing a ous tablets, placing the tablets in a desiccated dehydrating material and sealing.

condition in superimposed relation in a con- In witness whereof, I have hereunto set tainer containing at the bottom an alkaline my hand and seal'in the presence of two 5 dehydrating material separated from the witnesses.

tablets by a layer of cotton and sealing.

I 2 The method of preserving digitalis con- FREDERICK HEYL' sisting of comminuting desiccated digitalis Witnesses: 7 leaves sufliciently to permit compressing into BESSIE I. KINGSLEI,

10 porous tablets and compressing into porous CORA RINEvEm. 

